“Sometimes translation is almost like a session of free association.”

Human translators for literary work aren’t going anywhere soon

Filed under: AI, books, Tech, translation

This piece in the NYT by Sophie Hughes over the weekend is very good: The Art of Translation: See how a translator carries a book from one language to another, line by line (NYT gift link).

The translator walks the reader through the process and the way it’s presented is excellent (it’s better on desktop, though mobile is fine). It’ll give you even greater appreciation for the job. And about AI’s danger to translators, well, it’s addressed but you’ll have to click through for the full experience:

Here, just for reference, is how Google Translate renders the lines in English. I’m often asked if machine translation services or A.I. will put human translators out of a job. It doesn’t keep me up at night.

It’s a short piece that’ll give you new appreciation for that job. Check it out.